The date Magento set for the End of Life (EOL) of its version 1 was June 2020, which means it is already a fait accompli. That doesn’t mean that all stores running on Magento 1 stopped working. Still, the results of this EOL could be equally damaging: the developers stopped supporting and updating the software, and therefore, it becomes more vulnerable to threats of all kinds every minute. At the time of writing, 98,581 websites are using Magento 1 as per SimilarTech. If you own a store based on Magento 1, you have to do something, and you have to do it fast. Wondering what to do? These are the two main options:
Migrate to a different e-commerce platform — either Magento 2 or another.Stay with Magento 1 for now, and hire a service that provides an acceptable alternative to the official support.
Option 1 requires a full re-platform, which involves data migration, together with new themes and templates. And all this involves a significant investment in time and money, even if you opt for switching to Magento 2 because it is not a simple upgrade: the move from M1 to M2 is a full re-platform since the two versions have completely different architectures. It is estimated that migration from Magento 1 to Magento 2 can cost between $ 50,000 to $ 100,000, depending on the store size. So if you are not in a position to invest such an amount in migration, you only have option 2: continue with Magento 1 as long as you can, and find a way to make your online store safe. Fortunately, there are many sites in this situation and a few services that could provide help. Let’s take a look at them.
Astra
Astra Security Suite offers all you need to keep your store secure, even if it is still based on Magento 1 after its EOL. To keep your customers feeling safe while they shop in your digital store, Astra offers a set of tools comprised of one security suite that includes a rock-solid firewall, an automatic malware scanner, security audits, and region/IP blocking. Astra Firewall protects your website in real time from more than a hundred threats, including SQL injection, LFI (Local File Inclusion), and bots. The malware scanner detects any virus or malware that intends to attack your site, while regular security audits help you find vulnerabilities and suggest ways to fix them. And with the click of a button, you can block whole countries or IP ranges from accessing your site, in case you know precisely where an attack could come from. With all these and more features, Astra Security Suite will make sure Magento 1 EOL will not be a headache if you opt to stick with it. Expert agencies encourage their customers to stay with an ROI-driven approach, which in many situations means staying on Magento 1, updating to the most recent 1.9.4.x version and configuring their servers with the best security practices in mind. Astra’s tools could help with the latter.
Nexcess
Magento 1-based stores will be protected after M1 EOL if they use Safe Harbor, the malware detection and software monitoring solution offered by Nexcess. So if you haven’t moved away from Magento 1 yet, Safe Harbor will give you enough time to weigh your options or plan your migration without difficulties. Services provided by Safe Harbor include malware scans, threat protection, staging environments, and Magento patches. Malware scanning is performed automatically every night, and if some malicious software is found, Nexcess specialists will inform you immediately and help you detect the source of the problem. You will be informed about blocked IPs and the reason why they have been blocked. With the aid of staging environments, you can test updates and patches safely and anonymously without affecting your live site. Safe Harbor is an assurance that your store will continue running smoothly since any newly found vulnerabilities will have patches created and made available to you. Safe Harbour prices range from $ 20 to $ 300 a month, depending on your store size. It is estimated that this cost represents about 35% of the total hosting cost.
BigCommerce
Now that Magento 1 EOL has passed, it may seem that nothing has changed. But issues will start to appear soon. For instance, your payment provider may tell you that they will not be covering you anymore because your store is no longer PCI compliant — which means it does not comply with the established set of standards that regulate the handling of credit cards and personal information of customers. In case you manage to overcome the PCI compliance problem and the risks involved in keeping a site running on an unsupported technology, at some point, you will be challenged to implement something new on your store, and you will face the problem of lack of Magento 1 developers to make the necessary changes. Eventually, you will have no option but to make a switch. BigCommerce offers to help you migrate from Magento 1 quickly and safely, with expert support and a platform that promises to end maintenance woes and costly fixes. Instead, you can cut costs and complexity thanks to automatic upgrades and patches. BigCommerce’s open SaaS platform lets you add content-rich commerce to your online store. Thanks to the accelerated launch support from BigCommerce partners, you can have your online store up and running on BigCommerce in as little as six weeks. You can even enjoy a special offer — 4 months free — if you decide to make the switch before September 30, 2020.
JetRails
Black-box and all-in-one solutions are not suitable to keep your store secured now that Magento-1 EOL has happened. At least that’s what the experts at JetRails say. Therefore, to offer you comprehensive M1 security with great support after the EOL date, they work with the best professionals across the Magento community to design a suitable proposal for each case. Eventually, you will have to migrate from M1, but until you decide which platform is the best option to make the switch, JetRails will be there for you. And when you’re ready to move out, they will help you size out the right environment for your site. You’ll be able to choose between setting it up on their fully-managed bare metal servers or the AWS or Digital Ocean clouds. In terms of platforms, JetRails can offer support whether you choose to switch to Magento 2 or any LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack platform. Besides Magento 1 EOL, JetRails managed hosting services include Magento 2, WooCommerce, BigCommerce Headless, X-Cart Multi-Vendor Marketplace, WordPress High-End, and Drupal.
Bottom line: embrace change
Anyone who has spent a few years living in the digital jungle knows that the only constant changes. Platforms, technologies, online consumer habits — everything changes. And those who survive are those who best adapt to change. M1 EOL might seem like a bit of a crisis but take into account that each crisis is also an opportunity. This particular crisis brings the opportunity to revamp your digital store, make it safer for your customers, and add those new features that could push it ahead of your competition.
